5 MMA Exercises to Dominate the Octagon

MMA training is often characterized by intense full-body workouts that have demands similar to a fight. This is true to an extent, but you can't simply go and punch a bag and expect to get better in the octagon. (Try Rampage's conditioning workout.)

When training for MMA, you need to think about the movements that you perform. The five pillars of MMA skillsâand life in generalâinclude:

MMA training is often characterized by intense full-body workouts that have demands similar to a fight. This is true to an extent, but you can't simply go and punch a bag and expect to get better in the octagon. (Try Rampage's conditioning workout.)

When training for MMA, you need to think about the movements that you perform. The five pillars of MMA skills—and life in general—include:

Pulling

Pushing

Rotation

Raising and lowering (e.g., Squats, Lunges, etc.)

Locomotion (moving from point A to B)

Now that you have these identified, you must use the principle of Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID) to determine which exercises to perform. Translation: you must perform movements that are similar to the skill targeted for improvement, using similar movement patterns, range of motion and muscles. (Watch Herschel Walker's MMA workout.)

This does not mean that the five MMA exercises you're about to learn are designed to improve your skill technique. What it means is that these exercises will help you produce more force in specific movement patterns, thus improving target movements without the bumps or bruises that can come from sparring.

Below I provide our top exercises to improve strength and power in each of the five pillar movements in a manner that will directly improve your MMA skills.

Nick Tumminello
- Nick Tumminello, known as the "Trainer of Trainers," is the owner of Performance University, which provides hybrid fitness training for athletes and educational programs for fitness professionals worldwide. He has worked with a variety of clients, from NFL athletes to professional bodybuilders, figure
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